Turn with me to the book of John,
chapter 18. John 18. John 18. Before I begin, Again, I want to say that I pray
God have mercy on us today. I stand as a frail creature,
speaking to frail creatures, but many of whom I'm convinced
that Almighty God is everlastingly loved and gave the Lord Jesus Christ
for, laid down his life, died for his people. This morning I want us to take
up where we left off last time we looked at verse 1 chapter
18 when Jesus had spoken these words that is the high priestly
prayer. He went forth with his disciples
over the brook Sidron where was a garden into the which he entered
and his disciples And the scripture says, and I'll
be looking at verses 2 to 9 this morning, and Judas also, which
betrayed him, knew the place. For Jesus oft times resorted
thither with his disciples. There's many things in this particular
book, the book of John, that's not recorded. Other things, other
events took place. I want you to turn with me, hold
your place here, but turn to Matthew chapter 26. Matthew 26. We're going to be looking at
the Lord's betrayal by one of his apostles, a man named Judas. It's scary. Now, a few moments
ago, I made this statement. We can hear the truth. We can
hear the truth. And unless the Lord blesses it
to our heart, it means nothing. It means nothing. Matthew 26, verse 14, to 16. The scripture says, then
one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief
priests and said unto them, what will you give me? And I will
deliver him unto you. And they covenanted with him
for 30 pieces of silver. Now listen to this, and from
that time he sought opportunity to betray him. That was his heart. That was
his desire. He was looking for a chance.
I'm going to find me an opportunity. When the time's right, I'm going
to betray him. Not very long after that, after
he had covenanted with the chief priest, the scripture says in
Matthew, same book, just not very long after this. Now just
think about what we just read. What will you give me? And I'll
turn him over to you. 30 pieces of silver. Good. And he started looking for an
opportunity to betray him. Matthew 26 verse 20. Just not
long. I don't know how long. Not long. What do you think was going through
Judas's mind? I'll find the right time. I'm
just looking. I'll bide my time. Now when the
even was come, he sat down with the twelve. And as they did eat,
he said verily I say unto you that one of you shall betray
me. Now at that point, you would
think that all of a sudden, Judas would just get inside, just hot. And he said, very lastly, that
one of you shall betray me. And they were exceeding sorrowful,
and began every one of them to say unto him, Lord, is it I? Now I feel, and I'm just thinking,
this is just my thought. I think that Judas, he's going
to say something in just a few minutes. All of the 11, the scripture
says, and very possibly, maybe Judas did feel exceedingly sorrowful. But according to the wording
that we're about to read, Judas didn't say anything yet. Verse
22, they were exceeding sorrowful, began every one of them to say
unto him, Lord, is it I? And he answered and said, he
that dippeth his hand with me in the dish, the same shall betray
me. Now listen to these words. The
son of man goeth as it is written of him. But woe unto that man
by whom the Son of Man is betrayed. It had been good for that man
if he had not been born." Now let me tell you what the Lord
just said. When He said, the Son of Man
goeth as it is written of Him, but woe, God's woe, God's woe,
woe unto you. This is what He's saying. The
man that betrays Me, the Lord knew. He knew the end from the
beginning. He knew that Judas would kill
himself, hang himself. He knew that he would go to his
place. You think the Lord knew that? You think the Lord knew
what was going to happen to Judas? That he was going to go to his
place. He was going to go to hell. And the Lord said this,
the son of man goeth as it is written of him, but woe unto
that man by whom the son of man is betrayed. The man that betrays
the Lord, resists the Lord, denies the Lord, he said, you're going
to hell. You're going to hell. Whoa, until
that man, it had been good for that man if he had not been born. You'd be a whole lot better off
if you'd have never been born. Listen to this. Then Judas, which
betrayed him, answered and said, Master, is it I? And he said unto him, Thou hast
said. I read those words again this
morning and I thought, How dead truly is a man? I talk about that. that a man
is dead spiritually. How hard! How cold! How indifferent! Judas was looking for an opportunity
and the Lord said, he heard these words, The Son of Man goeth as
it is written, but woe to that man by whom he is betrayed, been
but of that man, not been born. Judas heard the Lord say, The
man that betrays me, woe unto him. Back in John, no in that, John
18.2, and Judas also which betrayed him. He had already betrayed him,
already sold him out, already covenanted, already had the money. He knew the place. or if he didn't
have the money, it was coming. He knew the place for Jesus'
oft-times resorted thither with his disciples. Here was the Lord
who placed himself exactly where he knew he must be. Judas knew
where he was, he knew the place, they'd gone there often, and
the Lord went to that place for this purpose. to place himself
into the hands of those that would betray him, take him, turn
him over. Here was perfect obedience to
his father's will. John 9, for I must work the work
of him that sent me while it's day. John 6, 39, this is the father's
will which hath sent me that of all which he hath given me
I should lose nothing. but should raise it up again
at the last day. This is the Father's will. That of all that
he's elected, all he's given me, you just can't get around
it. He's got a people. And this is
God's will. This is the Father's will. Of
all that he's given me, I'm not going to lose any of them. I'm
going to have them all. And verse 3 back in John 18 says,
And Judas then, having received a band of men and officers from
the chief priests and Pharisees, cometh thither with lanterns
and torches and weapons. Here again, look at the utter
depravity of the old man. Here's Judas. He says he came
with a band of men, a band. between four and five hundred
soldiers. And he's got the, you know, the dignitaries all with
him and they're there with lanterns and they've got torches and weapons. Judas had watched the Lord for
three plus years. Saw the miracles. He gave sight
to the blind, raised the dead, took five loaves, three fish,
and two, and he fed 5,000 men, plus the women and children.
And he watched that. He watched the Lord perform miracles. He spoke and it was. And now
he's coming and he's got a four or five hundred soldiers with
him and all the whoever's of the community, those that thought
that they were something. And you'd think, you'd still
think, surely there's something that would cause him to have
some kind of feeling. Thirty pieces of silver? Sell
his soul out for 30 pieces of silver. Man's so proud, he's so arrogant,
he's just... This man is a dead sinner. He's a dead, lost sinner. And he heard the gospel preached
from the prophet of God himself, the Lord Jesus Christ. Oh, unless Almighty God blesses
this word today, it's just going to be words. Judas heard the
Lord preach. Judas heard the Lord preach. Verse 4 to 6, Jesus, therefore,
knowing all things that should come upon him, went forth and
said unto them, Whom seek ye? They answered him, Jesus of Nazareth. And Jesus saith unto them, I
am. He is in italics there, I am. And Judas also which betrayed
him, listen to this, stood with them. Stood with them. As soon then as he had said unto
them, I am, he, they went backward and fell to the ground. Here
is omniscience himself who knows. He knows. Peter said unto the Lord, Lord
you know all things. You know I love you. Here's the
Lord. And he asked him this question.
Whom seek you? Who do you want to crucify? Who do you want out of your life? That's a question that every
one of us need to consider. Whom do I seek? Am I seeking
this little g nobody? This little g God who is not
God? There is no God beside me. That's
what the Lord said. There's no God beside me. This
little g God that's trying to do something has got to have
a man's help. I've heard men say, the only
arms that he has, the only hands he has, the only eyes he has
is yours. That's horrible. That's horrible. Where was this little fickle
hand right here, Mitch, when he made this world? Where was these eyes right here
when he spoke? And it was. Whom seek ye? Here's what they
said, we're looking for Jesus of Nazareth. They didn't say
we're looking for the Christ. Here's what they said, the fellow
we're looking for is one that claims to be God. Jesus of Nazareth, that's who
we want. And here the Lord who knows all
things, when he asked of whom seek ye, he permitted them to
verbalize their rebellion. Who do you want? I want the God
that says that he'll help me if I'll let him. I want the God
that wants to save me, but can't unless I exercise my will. Let me tell you something. If
Almighty God ever gives a man a woman a heart, this is what
they're going to say, God be merciful to me, the sinner. I can of myself do nothing. Lord,
unless you save me, I'm going to hell. I'm going to hell. Unless you, by your Holy Spirit,
breathe upon me, blow upon your garden, the one you made, you
chose, Lord, unless you have mercy on my soul, I'm going to
die. And I'm going to be eternally
separated from you. Whom seek you? Jesus of Nazareth is who we want.
I'm going to tell you something, that answer is going to come
up again one day. That answer is going to come up. The books
are going to be opened. And the book is going to be open. And all who are not found written
in the Lamb's Book of Life, written before the foundation of the
world, are going to have their books
of their works opened up and they're going to be read. On
this date, this is what you said. This is what you said right here.
On this day is what you did. On this day, this was your attitude.
On this day, this is what you thought. On this day, this is
where it is. And they're going to be judged
out of the books of their works. Whom seek ye? They said, Jesus
of Nazareth. Listen, Matthew 12, 37, for by
thy words shalt thou be justified, by thy words thou shalt be condemned.
If God Almighty gives a man a new heart, I'm going to tell you
something, out of the abundance of that new heart, his mouth
is going to speak. And he's going to say, Lord, I don't have anything
to glory in save you. I have no confidence in my flesh.
I don't even want to talk about it. I don't want to talk about
what I've done. I don't want to talk about my
will because I know what my will is. That's what you just said,
Neil. If I love him, why am I thus? Why this dull and lifeless frame? Can they be worse than me, who've
never known his name? It can't be any worse than I
am. Lord, you decide the doubtful case. Thou who art the blessed son, shine upon your
work of grace, if it truly yet be done. As soon as they said
Jesus of Nazareth, the Lord who didn't do, what Adam did in the
garden, hide himself. When he said, ask them, who do
you seek? They said, Jesus of Nazareth.
And he said, I am. I'm who you're looking for. Here's
the true and faithful witness. And Judas, who heard those words,
I am, stood with them. He stood with them. This is what
every one of us will do unless the Lord gives us a new heart.
We'll stand with them. I'll stand against God. Oh, let
God be true. Let every man be a liar. Let
me admit it. Lord, in my old wicked self,
that old nature that still resides, that one that Paul spoke of,
old wretched man that I am, I'm telling you, I'm telling you,
this is my thoughts. I'll not have him to rule over
me. But that new nature, that new man, that's the one that
cries out. Lord, I love you. You're my hope,
you're my peace, you're my comfort. He stood with them. Moses asked
the nation of Israel when he'd gone up on the mountain, came
down, they had that golden calf, they were all dancing around
it and everything, who's on the Lord's side? Sons of Levi stood
with Moses. Sons of Levi. Who's on the Lord's
side? Sons of Levi stood there. And
the scripture says that God went through and killed 3,000 men
before he was appeased. with an atonement. God's just. Number 16, Korah and his followers
stood against Moses and this is what they said, you take too
much on yourself. Who do you think you are? Who
do you think you are? God have mercy. Standing against
the Lord, against God's servant, God's words, what they were standing
against, against God. Moses, you take way too much
on yourself." Moses said, okay. He said, bring your censors tomorrow
and we'll let the Lord decide. And God Almighty opened up the
earth and it said sent Korah and all of his band and his families,
their families, their families with them and sent them alive
to hell. Sent them all to hell. Just opened
the earth up. Oh, what words of rebellion.
Judas stood with them. Scripture says, immediately hearing,
I am, they went backwards, not bowing, they fell backwards. And then the scripture says,
after they fell to the ground, now listen, all of them fell
backwards. That ought to, I mean, again,
that ought to have said something. He said, I am, and they all,
four or five hundred soldiers, And all those priests, and all
of those dictators, everybody, all of them fell backwards. And the scripture says then,
in verse 7, then he asked them again, Whom seek ye? And they said the same thing. You would think, now they'll
fall down and worship and bow. The heart is desperately wicked. It's deceitful above all things. Who can know it? And they said,
Jesus of Nazareth. Listen, there was no lack of
power in him. You think they had four or five
hundred soldiers. They couldn't have taken him. He could have spoken and legions
of angels been there. He didn't. He gave himself over. This word, I am. He who spoke and they fell backwards
at the word. His word, I am. They fell backwards. Let me ask you this. When he
says in the day of judgment, Bind him hand and foot and take
him away and cast him into outer darkness. There shall be weeping
and gnashing of teeth. What do you think is going to
happen? Oh, Lord, have mercy today. Today, today, the day of mercy,
day of grace. If you hear his voice, this is
his words, if you hear his voice, harden not your heart. Verse
7, they asked Him, He said, Who seek ye? Jesus of Nazareth. How blind. Verses 8 and 9, in
closing, Jesus answered, He said, I've told you that I am He. If therefore you seek Me, let
these go their way, that the saying might be fulfilled, which
He spake of them which thou gavest Me, I have lost. That wasn't a request. That was
not a request. That was a command. I've told you that I'm he, if
therefore you seek me, here's the command. You let these go
their way. You leave them alone. You're
looking for me, you leave these alone. He was soon to suffer
for his own. And his disciples that he immediately
spoke of, yes, but he's talking about all of his elect, all that
the Father had given him. He was not going to be spared
the suffering, because he laid down his life, but they would be spared in him.
The Father's will is going to be done. This is the Father's
will which has sent me. That of all which he hath given
me, this is the Father's will. That I should lose nothing. I'm
going to raise it up again last day. I'm going to. I'm going
to. Even now, those given to the
Lord in electing grace, listen to this, I can tell you assuredly,
all that the Father's given him is going to come to him. And
you know how I'm going to know how they will be known? They
will absolutely, by faith, cast themselves upon the mercy of
God and they will look to nothing in themselves, by themselves,
accomplished by themselves. They'll have absolutely no confidence
in the flesh. They will look to the Lord Jesus
Christ and from the heart say, Lord, you redeemed me. You saved
me. You kept me. And I did nothing. Salvation is of grace through
faith. as has known through faith. Faith
didn't save us, Christ saves us. By the grace of God, we are
what we are. Lord, bless these words. Lord,
bless these words. Lord, bless these words. If he
doesn't, they're just words. Bless them for Christ's